Truck



(No Model.)

J; J. PRATT. TRUGK.

- No. 547, 6l"7. Pmmd 001:. a, 1895.;

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN JAMES PRATT, 0F YUBA CITY, CALIFORNIA TRUCK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 547,617, dated October 8,1895.

Application filed August 24, 1894. Serial No. 521,208. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN JAMES PRATT, a citizen of the United States, residing atYuba City, in the county of Butter and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Trucks; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of said invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it most nearly appertains to make, use, and practice the same. This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in trucks, more especially to that class commonly known as warehouse-trucks, which consist in the arrangement of parts and details of construction, as will be hereinafter more fullyset forth in the drawing, described, and pointed out in the specification.

The object of my invention is to provide a truck whereby the load when placed thereon will stand in nearly a vertical plane or at a right angle to the truck-nose, whereby the articles orload placed thereon may be carried from place to place without being tilted or thrown into a horizontal position, as is customary with the use of the ordinary warehouse-truck. This is an important feature in the transportation or trucking of a pile or stack of filled open crates or those which have the top nnfastened, for in this case if the stack or pile of crates be tilted or thrown into a horizontal position the con tents thereof will be liable to slip or roll out. More especially is this so should the crates be filled with, small articlessuch, for, instance, as fruit. Again, it is necessary with many classes of merchandise that they be conveyed in as near a vertical position as practicable in or der that the contents of the packages be not disturbed or displaced.

Referring to the drawing forming a part of this application, wherein my improved truck is illustrated by a perspective view in elevation,

the letter A indicates the side pieces of the truck-frame, which side pieces are united together by means of the cross-pieces A"; From the lowerface of the lower end of the side pieces project the cars a, within which works the axle B, to which axle are secured the rolls B. To the upper face of the side pieces I secure the straps C, the lower end portion of which straps propiece A, which may be said to constitute the I truck-frame, upwardly extend the supplemental frame-pieces O, which pieces at their lower end 'I secure to the side pieces 'A by means of the bolts 0. These pieces 0' are united together by means of the cross-rods C and are connected to the outer portion or upper portion of the truck-frame through the a medium of the straps D, one end of which I secure to the side pieces A and the other to the pieces 0'. These pieces and the cross-rods constitute the supplemental frame of the truck, which frame, as shown by the drawing, is arranged in such a position as to cause it to stand at aright angle to the truck-nose. By 7 thus securing the supplemental frame, or, as I term it, the truck-bed, the same will stand in a vertical plane when the truck is at rest, as shown in the drawing.

The crates or other packages to be trucked from place to place are piled one above the other upon the platform. D, which platform is raised clear of the floor or above the level of the ground by,means of the side pieces d. After a sufficient number of packages have been placed upon the platform the nose of the truck is run under the platform D, when the load will then stand parallel with the supplemental frame of the truck. By-bearing slightly upon the outer ends of the truckframe the entire load, including the platform, will be raised clear of the ground, the entire column or pile of packages bearing against the supplemental frame or bed of the truck. It will thus be noticed that by my improved truck-bed or supplemental frame I am enabled to truck packages or boxes from place to place without throwing or tilting the packages into a horizontal position.

By my construction of a warehouse-truck the operator may load and unload the truck without being required to handle the packages, for by the use of the raised platform in connection with the truck the nose .of the truck passes beneath the platform and by bearing down upon the truck-handles the too se ge-1r entire sleek or pile of packages may he raised and the load transported to nnydesirod point without the operator handling the packages at any time. ()1? course it will he understood that the truck-bed or supplemental frmne may rery'in size to adapt the truck for high or low loads without causing a depertu re from my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure preteetion in by Letters Iijatent, is-

The combination with the frame of. an ordinary warehouse truelc, of straps; secured to the upper edges of the side bars thereof and having their lower ends projecting forward from the lower end of the [mine to form truck noses, a supplemental frame having its lower ends secured to the inner side of the side bars of the truck frame near the lower ends of the same and extending upward therefrom at a right angle to the truck noses, and independent straps connecting the truck frame and the supplementui frame near their upper ends.

In testimony whereof I al'iix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

.101 I N J AM ES PRATT. Witnesses:

N. A. Aonnn, I]. M. Mnrnns. 

